In the field of wireless communication, a method of relaying a wireless signal using a relay apparatus has been put to practical use. An example of such a relay apparatus is, for example, a booster device that does not perform regenerative relay.
A wireless relay apparatus that amplifies and relays a wireless signal between a base station and a mobile station that perform closed-loop transmission power control has been proposed. The wireless relay apparatus includes a downlink relaying section, a downlink power control command obtaining section, a downlink reception status determining section, and a relay controlling section. The downlink relaying section amplifies a downlink signal transmitted from the base station and transmits the amplified downlink signal to a mobile station. The downlink power control command obtaining section obtains, from an uplink signal transmitted from the mobile station, a downlink power control command for controlling transmission power of the base station. The downlink reception status determining section determines, in accordance with the downlink power control command, whether the mobile station is in a reception status requiring amplification of the downlink signal.
The relay controlling section stops the amplification process performed by the downlink relaying section when it has been determined that the mobile station is not in a reception status requiring amplification of the downlink signal.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-55185 discloses a related technique.